Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Prof. Ed Knorr
We report on our experiences in conducting programming tests on a computer (rather than on paper) in a large, second-year, CPSC course for non-specialists. By adding a suite of in-lab programming tests to our regular assessments, we expected students to improve significantly in these areas: (1) programming ability as measured by final exam grades on programming-related questions, (2) confidence in programming ability, and (3) contributions/effectiveness in pair programming partnerships. We discuss whether paper-based exams are a reliable and reasonable way of measuring programming abilities, especially when most of their term work was done on a computer. This interactive talk will also explore engagement strategies that go beyond this particular course, such as demos to TAs, the growing expectation of employers (co-op and full-time) to see competency during technical interviews, student utility functions, student attitudes, and changing demands on CPSC students and instructors.
